Method of regulating the velocity of fumes passing through electrical precipitators



w. STRONG. METHOD OF REGULATING .THE vnocnv 0F FUMES PASSING THROUGH ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, I917.

1 37,488. Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

n\ -II .IIIIIIIII! 2.. II. III: I: 1W III I I- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. STRONG, OF MEOHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF REGULATING THE {TELOGITY OF FUMES PASSING THROUGH ELECTRICAL 1 I PR'ECIPITATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application filed September 25, 1917. Serial No. 153,206.

- ments in Methods of Regulating the Velocity of Fumes Passing Through Electrical Precipitators, of which the following is a specification.

- The present invention relates to electrical precipitators and in particular to mechanismffor controlling the velocity of the fumes or gases passing through the precipitator.

.The capacity of a particular precipitator determines the maximum ,rate of flow or velocity ofagas to be cleaned. If the gas flows through the treating chamber at-a rate greater than such maximum, -it cannot be completely cleaned, and the greater the velocity above such maximum, the be. the loss of valuable products.

Omthe other hand,.it is found that when gas ispassed through amultiple pipe treater,where a. pluralit of treater pipes arearranged in parallellsm to. each other,

different quantities of gas will pass through the different pipes at different velocities. This difierence may be due to various causes, chiefly to differences of temperature caused by'local cooling. I v 7 Whatever may be-the cause, the effect is that the gas isnot uniformly treated in thedifferent pipes that the gas having the greater velocity is not sufliciently cleaned and that on the other hand the treater pipe through which the gas flows at a relatively lower rate is noteflicient. 7

It is the object of my invention to provide means for controlling the velocity of the fumes or gases through treater pipesv to avoid the difliculties above referred to.

The invention in its broadest aspect comprises means for variably constricting the flow of gas in a pipe and means for automatically operating these constricting means in proportion to the velocity of thefumes or gases in the pipe.

For a fuller understandingof .theinvention I refer to the. appended drawings in which-c l Figure 1 is a view in elevatlon of a mult1 ple pipe treater embodying my invention;

greater will Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single treater P P Fig. 3 is a View in elevation of a modified,

form, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical arrangement used in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 represents a multiple pipe treater composed of the chambers 1 and 2 which formthe collecting. electrodes. The discharge electrodes 3 'and 4 aresupported by' a beam 5 held in position between the chambers 1 and 2 by insulators 6 and 7 The particular arrangement for supporting the electrodes is not material and may be altered in various ways. I

The principal feature ofthe invention is the damper "mechanism comprising ithe dampers 8, Stand-9, 9. These dampers are in substance semi-circular disks,- as best shown in Fig. 2, and of such size that, when they are in a'plane transversely of the pipe, they constrict the flow of the gas a maximum amount and when they are inother positions, they constrict the flow of the gas less. The extreme positions are indicated in dotted lines.

In order to make the application of dampers, or..constricting means in general, feasible in the manner and for'the purpose indic ated, I make use of an insulator link 10, more specifically described in my co-pending applicationSer. No. 193,207, filed Sept. 25, 1917. This link 10 which is of suitable insulating material, serves the purpose of interconnecting the electrode sections in the pipe without in itself producing an electrical field. The dampers and the insulator link may be located anywhere in the pipe, but I preferably place them near the end of the pipe where the gases leave'the precipitator for the reason that the gases are substantially clean when they reach that point and do not form a deposit in the dampers.

The dampers 8, 8 and 9, 9 are supported on pivots 11,-11' journaled in the wall of the pipes. At one side the pivots 11 and 11 project beyond the outer face of the pipes and are connected to crank arms 12 and 12. At the outer end thecrank arms are providedwith arms 13 and 13' formed on their upper faces with ribs 14. These ribs serve the urpose of adjustably supporting hooks 15 rom which a weight pocket 16 issusfpended. The dampers have"semi-circular recesses 17 whereby they are spaced from the insulating link 10.

the maximum velocity of the gas according to the capacity of the precipitator is 10 feet per second, the weight attached by means of the weight pockets 16 is such that it will hold the dampers in the open position indicated at the right of Fig. 1. Should the velocity of the fumes in one of the pipes increase, the kinetic energy of the gases will lift the damper vanes against the gravity action of the weights and reduce the effective aperture of the pipe in proportion to the increase of velocity above that for which the dampers had been set. This reduction of the effective aperture will cause an increased flow of gas into the second pipe and increase the velocity thereof in increased proportion to the reduction of the aperture in the first pipe, until a balance is attained in the two pipes and the velocities in the pipes are equal.

By means of the weights the dampers may be set in any manner desired. The dampers in all the pipes may be set for any maximum velocity, or for different velocitles to suit particular requirements.

While I have shown weights as a means for controlling the positionof the dampers, I may use other suitable means for that purpose and I consider all such means as suitable which yield readily to the kinetic action of the gases on'the dampers and tend to return the dampers to their original fpo sition.

I have shown means for stantially 'constant resistance against the kinetic action of the gases to operate the dampers in a substantially linear progression in proportion to the change of. velocity. It

is of course feasible to constrict the flow Qf the gas at a rate other than linear so that the ratio rate of flow rate of constriction is a variable, as is obvious.

In Fig. 3, which represents atreater pipe of a multiple pipe treater system, the discharge electrode is not passed through the through lateral apertures 24 and may be supported in any suitable way. The opera .of a constricting means.

offering a subtion of the controlling mechanism is the object of my invention. The dampers shown perform',the dual function of a speed gage for measuring the velocity of the fumes and I may within the scope of my invention use separate velocity measuring means and separate constricting means suitably interrelated to perform together the function of the dampers shown.

The term pipe in the claims is intended 'to cover passages or ducts of all forms capable of operating for the I claim 1. The combination of an electric precipitator of the multiple pipe treater type and automatically controlled means positioned in the different pipes for equalizing the flow of gas therein.

2. In, an electric precipitator of the multiplepipe treatertype, means for controlling the fiow of gas in each pipe and means for automaticallyactuatin said controlling means for equallzing the ow of gas in the different pipes of the precipitator.

3. In an electric precipitator of the-multiple pipe treater'type, adjustable damper means in each pipe and means for automatically adjusting said damper to equalize the fiow of gas in the different pipes; 7 4

4. In an electric precipitator of the multiple pipe treater type, means for automatipurpose specified.

cally constricting the flow of gas in each pipe when the rate of flow exceeds a predetermined value.

5. In an electrical precipitator of the multiple pipe treater type, the combination of a damping vane 1n each pipe and pivotally supported thereon and means connected to, the damping vane for normally holding it in a relatively open position against the action of the gas tending to close it, said means being constructed and arranged to just balance the kinetic action of the gas when the rate of How has a predetermined value and permit the gradual closing when the rate of flow exceeds the predetermined value. I v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM W. STRONG. 

